recommend me a drum machine

[JereFuzz]

Ugh, you guys are bad for my drum machine habit, I was staying out of this thread once it was clear the MPC was not a goto. MPC has been a glory to work with in my world, though mine's something of a geezer at this point.

Anyway: in regards to the Alesis SR-16, which, once you discount the Mattel Synsonics, was my first drum machine... for which I hold a somewhat misplaced sentimentality.. were the samples re-recorded for the 24 bit (ie: are the sounds different?) I'm pretty sure the source files for the first generation 16 bit machine were 16 bit, so upsampling that is sort of beyond the point of diminishing returns.

Or is the 24 bit talk about the 18?

cool thanks for the info
any preference on bit version?
16 bit is more crunchy and lofi probably yeah
can't watch the vids right now

If you want crunchy, go with the HR. It's got a somewhat meaner, raw sound to my ear (though to be fair, I have not A/B'd the two, and rawness might be my own advancement in being able to record/mix, I sold my SR-16 twenty years ago). HR does not have a couple programming perks of the SR, what I miss the most is the fill section from A to B part (or vice versa), in that you can do very articulate things with the programming of the fill bridge and being able to cut to that at any point in a measure in song mode is something none of the other machines from that era even got close to. I found it a massively useful function for some stuff.

Have you tried the Zoom RT-223?

[sergiomunoz74]

Is it really hardware Ableton as some people seem to claim?

Not even close, every time someone says that I really think of how anyone could say that. Ableton does a lot of things, while an octatrack can do some of those things, it's extremely limited in it's scope and pretty obtuse in a lot of ways I could never wrap myself around. It took 3 hours to get something recordede\ consistently and then trying to use it as a looper was just as tough. I bought it hoping to replace a good amount of things like loopers and my small mixer. Instead I just left myself with frustration when I would have to reference the manual for a forgotten button press combo.

I always felt if you have the time to learn ableton and learn it well, it will do more good than trying to remember the octatrack. I understand aversion to computers but in the end nothing replaces a a good daw for sampler type stuff. That's my opinion though, I feel like I see so many people using the octatrack well that it boggles me. MPC's and Electribes are my jam, although now-a-days all my drums are from a 606 and a Nord Modular G2.

pretty much the same reasons i sold mine. in some ways it was a dream. in others it was a rock.
i think its more like realtime warping / time stretch, loops all in time type of thing that gets the ableton comparisons.
but i could see the overall similarities if you asked me to

Similar for sure but kinda like super obtuse and limited version. Definitely a far cry from the ableton in a box thing

[resincum]

Is it really hardware Ableton as some people seem to claim?

Not even close, every time someone says that I really think of how anyone could say that. Ableton does a lot of things, while an octatrack can do some of those things, it's extremely limited in it's scope and pretty obtuse in a lot of ways I could never wrap myself around. It took 3 hours to get something recorded consistently and then trying to use it as a looper was just as tough. I bought it hoping to replace a good amount of things like loopers and my small mixer. Instead I just left myself with frustration when I would have to reference the manual for a forgotten button press combo.

I always felt if you have the time to learn ableton and learn it well, it will do more good than trying to remember the octatrack. I understand aversion to computers but in the end nothing replaces a a good daw for sampler type stuff. That's my opinion though, I feel like I see so many people using the octatrack well that it boggles me. MPC's and Electribes are my jam, although now-a-days all my drums are from a 606 and a Nord Modular G2.

I've been thinking about this a ton as well...wondering if it'll be better off on the long run to just get into ableton with a dedicated computer.

I'm also going to give the Sr 16 a shot. might as well since it's so cheap. can you load samples with those?

[JereFuzz]

Is it really hardware Ableton as some people seem to claim?

Not even close, every time someone says that I really think of how anyone could say that. Ableton does a lot of things, while an octatrack can do some of those things, it's extremely limited in it's scope and pretty obtuse in a lot of ways I could never wrap myself around. It took 3 hours to get something recorded consistently and then trying to use it as a looper was just as tough. I bought it hoping to replace a good amount of things like loopers and my small mixer. Instead I just left myself with frustration when I would have to reference the manual for a forgotten button press combo.

I always felt if you have the time to learn ableton and learn it well, it will do more good than trying to remember the octatrack. I understand aversion to computers but in the end nothing replaces a a good daw for sampler type stuff. That's my opinion though, I feel like I see so many people using the octatrack well that it boggles me. MPC's and Electribes are my jam, although now-a-days all my drums are from a 606 and a Nord Modular G2.

I've been thinking about this a ton as well...wondering if it'll be better off on the long run to just get into ableton with a dedicated computer.

I'm also going to give the Sr 16 a shot. might as well since it's so cheap. can you load samples with those?

No, you can only use available samples in the unit. No usb interface. No SD card. But still great!

[sergiomunoz74]

That's what I'm doing, I sold my SP-404 (to Mr. Sticks) and my MPC60 to get a lappy and ableton. I know what people will say about character and such, I got a TR-606 with midi and I plan on sampling stuff through my 1974 pioneer cassette tdeck. I don't need grime shit when I can have super awesome samples ready to use on my laptop with a little controller or like an awesome controller like a monome. It certainly is more expensive of the options but now that I started to play shows more often, I have learned that sometimes hardware isn't the best.

I am also a guy with a 5U modular and the only thing that stopped my gear fetishism is actively playing shows.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

software is the new hardware

[D.o.S.]

Plus ableton is the shit.

[crochambeau]

Have you tried the Zoom RT-223?

No, not at home anyway (I used to work in a used instrument shop, so I did test a lot of shit, and recall Zooms popping up now and then). My experience with drum machines is somewhat limited to:

Mattel Synsonics *
Alesis SR-16
Alesis HR-16 (and B) *
Boss DR-110 *
TR505 *
TR606 *
TR707
Casio RZ-1 *
Korg KPR-77 *
SCI Drumtraks *
Sakata DPM-48 *
Yamaha RX-11 *
Suzuki RPM 40 *
MPC 2000xl *

* indicates it's still "underfoot". Most of those have a really steep limits of user interface headache to sound quality ratio, so it's pretty easy to discount most of them within the context of this thread.

The SR-16 has had 24-bit samples for a while now.

Same sound files though as the original run? I don't see how anything but marketing value benefits from the move, unless they re-recorded it. Anyone done a blind taste test?

Probably the wrong forum to ask that sort of thing, hahaha.

[resincum]

That's what I'm doing, I sold my SP-404 (to Mr. Sticks) and my MPC60 to get a lappy and ableton. I know what people will say about character and such, I got a TR-606 with midi and I plan on sampling stuff through my 1974 pioneer cassette tdeck. I don't need grime shit when I can have super awesome samples ready to use on my laptop with a little controller or like an awesome controller like a monome. It certainly is more expensive of the options but now that I started to play shows more often, I have learned that sometimes hardware isn't the best.

I am also a guy with a 5U modular and the only thing that stopped my gear fetishism is actively playing shows.

aww shiet.. what kind of controller will you use for ableton? also are you getting a mac?

[JereFuzz]

Have you tried the Zoom RT-223?

No, not at home anyway (I used to work in a used instrument shop, so I did test a lot of shit, and recall Zooms popping up now and then). My experience with drum machines is somewhat limited to:

Mattel Synsonics *
Alesis SR-16
Alesis HR-16 (and B) *
Boss DR-110 *
TR505 *
TR606 *
TR707
Casio RZ-1 *
Korg KPR-77 *
SCI Drumtraks *
Sakata DPM-48 *
Yamaha RX-11 *
Suzuki RPM 40 *
MPC 2000xl *

* indicates it's still "underfoot". Most of those have a really steep limits of user interface headache to sound quality ratio, so it's pretty easy to discount most of them within the context of this thread.

The SR-16 has had 24-bit samples for a while now.

Same sound files though as the original run? I don't see how anything but marketing value benefits from the move, unless they re-recorded it. Anyone done a blind taste test?

Probably the wrong forum to ask that sort of thing, hahaha.

I'd imagine one would have to compare the original user manual with the current user manual but I'd bet they are the same pool of samples but re-recorded at 24-bit or maybe while designing the sr-18 alesis went ahead and stuffed the 24-big sr18 samples into the sr16.

[sergiomunoz74]

That's what I'm doing, I sold my SP-404 (to Mr. Sticks) and my MPC60 to get a lappy and ableton. I know what people will say about character and such, I got a TR-606 with midi and I plan on sampling stuff through my 1974 pioneer cassette tdeck. I don't need grime shit when I can have super awesome samples ready to use on my laptop with a little controller or like an awesome controller like a monome. It certainly is more expensive of the options but now that I started to play shows more often, I have learned that sometimes hardware isn't the best.

I am also a guy with a 5U modular and the only thing that stopped my gear fetishism is actively playing shows.

aww shiet.. what kind of controller will you use for ableton? also are you getting a mac?

I'm probably gonna look for a used mac on craigslist, and I wanna get a monome since it's the most tasteful looking midi controller that I've seen in recent ages. Although I need to read up more on how it functions.

[JereFuzz]

Have you tried the Zoom RT-223?

No, not at home anyway (I used to work in a used instrument shop, so I did test a lot of shit, and recall Zooms popping up now and then). My experience with drum machines is somewhat limited to:

Mattel Synsonics *
Alesis SR-16
Alesis HR-16 (and B) *
Boss DR-110 *
TR505 *
TR606 *
TR707
Casio RZ-1 *
Korg KPR-77 *
SCI Drumtraks *
Sakata DPM-48 *
Yamaha RX-11 *
Suzuki RPM 40 *
MPC 2000xl *

* indicates it's still "underfoot". Most of those have a really steep limits of user interface headache to sound quality ratio, so it's pretty easy to discount most of them within the context of this thread.

The SR-16 has had 24-bit samples for a while now.

Same sound files though as the original run? I don't see how anything but marketing value benefits from the move, unless they re-recorded it. Anyone done a blind taste test?

Probably the wrong forum to ask that sort of thing, hahaha.

Btw,

I currently have:

Alesis SR-16
Zoom RT-223
Zoom RT-123
Korg Volca Beats
Akai Rhythm Wolf
Akai Tom Cat

Syncing multiple dms with midi or timing gates (which the akais and korg have) allows for a ton of sonic flexibility

[crochambeau]

What's your take on the Rhythm Wolf? It was so universally lambasted when it came out I couldn't help but lust after one.

I love the fact that drum machine talk has resulted in a conjoined thread.

[Ruiner]

I agree, this thread has turned into an interesting read.

AND my machine drum arrives tomorrow!

[crochambeau]

I agree, this thread has turned into an interesting read.

AND my machine drum arrives tomorrow!